Planning Your Trip to Norway - Norway - page 44

and Sweden. Each coupon costs 69£
or 57

one, call Passage Tours of Scandinavia
( & 800/548-5960 in the U.S.) or SAS
( & 800/221-2350 in the U.S.).
SAS Regularly scheduled domestic
flights on SAS ( & 800/221-2350 in
the U.S., or 81-00-33-00 in Oslo)
crisscross Norway. They connect
Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim, and Bodø.
SAS also flies to the Arctic gateway of
Tromsø; to Alta in Finnmark, the heart
of Lapland; and to Kirkenes, near the
Russian border. Transatlantic SAS pas-
sengers might also consider SAS's Visit
Scandinavia fare (see above).
OTHER AIRLINES Linked to the
SAS reservations network, Wideroe
(www.wideroe.no) specializes in
STOL (short takeoff and landing) air-
craft. It services rarely visited fishing
communities on offshore islands, iso-
lated fjord communities, and destina-
tions north of the Arctic Circle. For
more information or tickets, contact
SAS or local travel agents in Norway.
BY TRAIN
Norway's network of electric and
diesel-electric trains runs as far as
Bodø, 100km (62 miles) north of the
Arctic Circle. (Beyond that, visitors
must take a coastal steamer, plane, or
bus to Tromsø and the North Cape.)
Recently upgraded express trains (the
fastest in the country) crisscross the
mountainous terrain between Oslo,
Stavanger, Bergen, and Trondheim.
For information and reservations, log
on to the Norwegian State Railways
(NSB) site at www.nsb.no.
The most popular, and the most
scenic, run covers the 483km (300
miles) between Oslo and Bergen. Visi-
tors with limited time often choose
this route for its fabled mountains,
gorges, white-water rivers, and fjords.
The trains make frequent stops for pas-
sengers to enjoy breathtaking views.
Second-class travel on Norwegian
trains is recommended. In fact, second
class in Norway is as good as or better
than first-class travel anywhere else in

($110), a price that's especially
appealing when you consider that an
economy-class ticket between Stock-
holm and Copenhagen can cost as
much as $250 each way. The pass is
especially valuable if you plan to travel
to the far northern frontiers of Sweden
or Norway; in that case, the savings
over the price of a regular economy-
class ticket can be substantial. For
information on buying the pass, call
SAS ( & 800/221-2350 ) or visit www.
flysas.com.
WITHIN NORWAY Norway has
excellent air service. In addition to
SAS, two independent airways, Braa-
thens and Wideroe Flyveselskap, pro-
vide quick and convenient ways to get
around a large country with many
hard-to-reach areas. All three airlines
offer reduced rates available when
booked outside Norway, known as
“minifares.”
BRAATHENS In a partnership with
SAS, Braathens ( & 67-12-20-70 in
Oslo, or 55-23-55-23 in Bergen;
www.braathens.no) carries more pas-
sengers on domestic routes than any
other airline in Norway. It has regu-
larly scheduled flights inside Norway,
linking major cities as well as more
remote places not covered by other air-
lines. Its air routes directly link Oslo
with all major Norwegian cities; it also
offers frequent flights along the coast,
from Oslo to Tromsø and to Longyear-
byen on the island of Spitsbergen.
You might also inquire about the
Northern Light Pass, which provides
discounts and is valid for 1 month
between May and September. There
are two sets of fares. Flights between
airports in northern Norway are short
journeys, and the one-way fare for
pass-holders is $86. Flights from south
Norway to north Norway or vice versa
count as long journeys, and the one-
way fare is $161. The Visit Norway
Pass is sold by airlines that have agree-
ments with Braathens airlines. To buy

€